The University of Edinburgh E Brief description of the paper University Health and Safety Committee Tuesday 18 th November 2014 Portable Appliance Testing This Paper presents the review of the University s policy on, and arrangements for, the inspection and testing of electrical. Action requested Resource implications Risk Assessment Equality and Diversity Any other relevant information For information and comment Does the paper have resource implications? No Does the paper include a risk analysis? No Does the paper have equality and diversity implications? No Presented by Joe Brannigan, Health and Safety Adviser, Estates and Buildings Originators of the paper David Barrat, Technical Service Manager, Joe Brannigan Health and Safety Manager (advised by John Madden retired Principal Electrical Inspector HSE) Freedom of information Can this paper be included in open business? Yes If no, please indicate which of the reasons below justifies the paper being withheld. Its disclosure would substantially prejudice a programme of research Its disclosure would substantially prejudice the commercial interests of any person or organisation Its disclosure would constitute a breach of the Data Protection Act Its disclosure would substantially prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs Its disclosure would constitute a breach of confidence actionable in court Other (please give further details) For how long must the paper be withheld? (express either as the time which needs to pass or a condition which needs to be met.).
E University of Edinburgh Health and Safety Policy inspection testing of portable electrical A Paper submitted to the Health and Safety Committee Meeting, on 18 th November 2014, by Joe Brannigan Introduction This report covers the review of the University s policy on, and arrangements for, the inspection and testing of electrical ; this policy is set out in Part 3 of the University s Health and Safety Policy. The remit of this is: to examine the University of Edinburgh s policy on the maintenance of portable electrical and make recommendations for any changes required in the light of any changes to guidance The report considers the recent changes to published guidance and then recommends some corresponding amendments to the University s policy document. Drivers for changes to the guidance The principal driver for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to update its guidance on portable appliance testing was Professor Löfsted s review of the United Kingdom health and safety system, published in November 2011. In his report Professor Löfsted responded to evidence provided to both himself and the government s Red Tape Challenge that some businesses were applying the maintenance duties in the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 too widely and disproportionately in the context of testing electrical. The evidence revealed a misunderstanding of the law and associated guidance so he recommended that HSE further clarifies the requirement for portable appliance testing (including through changes to the wording of Regulations if necessary) by April 2012 to stop over-compliance and ensure that these messages reach all appropriate stakeholder groups. HSE responded to this recommendation by consulting relevant stakeholders and then publishing in April 2012 a revised version of its guidance note INDG236 Maintaining portable electric in low-risk environments. In addition, on 23 September 2013 HSE published a revised version of its main guidance publication on this topic, HSG107 Maintaining portable and transportable electrical, together with a slightly revised version of INDG236. There is currently no intention to change the wording of the Regulations. Changes to the guidance The new edition of HSG107 is typical of new HSE guidance in that it removes helpful advice, such as the examples of defective in the previous edition, and concentrates more on advising duty holders on their legal duties and the need to focus on risk assessments. As far as this review is concerned, there is the expected emphasis on the fact that not all needs to be tested, particularly in low risk environments, as well as clarification that the suggested frequencies of
inspections and tests have no legal standing and are initial frequencies which duty holders are at liberty to change on the basis of experience. Interestingly, the guidance now includes the maintenance of battery chargers, presumably because of widespread concerns about the fire risks from chargers, especially the counterfeit products that are in common use. The revised INDG236 attempts to clarify the risk-based approach to the preventive maintenance of electrical in low-risk premises such as shops and offices. Whilst still emphasising the importance of periodic formal visual examinations of the, the guidance reinforces the principle that Class II (ie unearthed with double, reinforced or supplementary insulation) in low risk premises would normally not need to be tested. It is this reinforcement of the principle of not needing to test such that is the principal change, although the principle itself is not new. There is no change to the principle that Class I (i.e. with exposed earthed metallic parts) should be tested at a frequency determined by a risk assessment. It has to be stressed that this clarification relates to low risk premises and that there has been no revision to the guidance for premises that do not fall into that risk category typically, this would include higher risk places like factories, construction sites, hospitals and, in the context of this report, areas in universities such as laboratories and workshops. The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) reacted to the revised guidance in INDG236 by publishing the 4th edition of its Code of Practice for the In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment. The importance of this publication is that it forms the basis of vocational courses provided to people who wish to obtain formal qualifications in appliance/ inspection and testing. It also contains a table with recommended inspection and testing frequencies that is more detailed than the equivalent tables in HSE s publications. This latest edition of the IET s Code of Practice contains a new explanation of the risk assessment process to determine frequencies of inspection and any testing that may be required. In the light of these changes the University guidance has been updated and appears below. Portable Electrical Equipment: The term portable electrical covers that is supplied from the fixed electrical installation or supplied from a generator through a flexible cable and either a plug and socket or a fixed connection unit such as a fused spur unit. It includes that is handheld, portable or moveable while connected to the supply but excludes items of heavy plant that may be moveable such as generators and cranes. It includes items of that are fixed for security reasons, such as a hand-held hair dryer in a gym changing room supplied from a fused spur connection unit. Within University buildings, Schools with technical staff resources can if they wish undertake the inspection and testing of all items of school ; those Schools without technical expertise should call upon Estates Department for assistance. Where the inspection and testing of portable is carried out via Estates Department, Schools must provide an up-to-date list of portable electrical on an annual basis. Students and staff bringing personal items of into University buildings must make sure that the item, including the cable, is not damaged and that the plug is correctly wired and fused. Advice and assistance can be provided via Estates Department.
Inspection of Portable Electrical Equipment Inspections are visual checks of the, including the cables and plugs. They are important because they can identify many faults that can cause injury. Any faults discovered should result in the being removed from use, labelled to indicate that it must not be used, and either replaced or repaired using the normal maintenance system within the School. There are two types of inspections: a user check, and a formal periodic visual examination by a competent person. User Checks A user check is a simple visual examination of the accessible parts that does not involve the or the plug being dismantled; it does not require to be recorded although Schools may prefer to do so. A check-list for user checks is attached at Appendix 1. User checks should normally be carried out by a person who is in control of the, such as the person in control of a laboratory. They should be carried out at regular intervals and on occasions such as when the has been relocated or unused for a significant period of time. Some types of, where the risks are higher, should be checked by the user before each use; this would include hand held-power tools, extension cables, and such as floor polishers where there is a significant risk of the supply cord being damaged. Schools should ensure that users of this type of are informed about the need for before-use checks and how to carry to carry them out. User checks on IT and rarely-moved Class II such as photocopiers, fax machines, fans and table lamps in low risk environments should be carried out periodically by the person in control of the if there is an appreciable risk of the power cables and plugs being damaged by the users. Formal testing of portable electrical Testing involves making measurements of some electrical properties of the and carrying out functional checks to ensure that the is working properly. Test known as Portable Appliance Tester is available which carries out a number of different tests although, typically, only two tests are required: 1. The earth continuity test. 2. The insulation resistance test (which may be replaced by a protective conductor/touch current test or leakage test for some forms of that may be damaged by an insulation resistance test). A Class I appliance or has a conductive metal casing and the earth wire (or protective conductor) of its cable is connected to this casing to ensure that it is earthed during use and will not become live at a dangerous voltage in the event of an internal fault. Class I appliances or are tested for earth continuity to ensure that the electrical resistance between the casing and the earth pin in the plug is sufficiently low.
A Class II appliance or has no need for an earth wire because it has insulation to prevent any metallic parts of the casing becoming live in the event of a fault. Class II appliances are therefore not tested for earth continuity. Except in some low risk environments both classes of appliance or require an insulation resistance test, which measures the resistance between the body of the and the live and neutral conductors connected together. Where a lead has a residual current device (RCD) to detect leakage to earth fitted, the RCD should be tested using an RCD test instrument. Recommended frequencies for inspection and testing The requirement for user checks and the recommended initial intervals between formal visual inspections and tests are set out in the table below. The recommendations are based on guidance in the HSE s publications HSG107 and INDG236 as well as the 4th Edition of the IET s Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment. The term Combined inspection and testing refers to circumstances in which the formal visual inspection is undertaken at the same time as the testing. Schools are at liberty to change these intervals based on experience and an assessment of the risks taking into account factors such as the environment in which the is being used; who is using it; the construction, particularly if it is Class I or Class II; the type of hand-held, portable, stationary etc; the frequency of use; and the previous history of inspections, tests, and maintenance. Equipment (including connected cables and plugs) Battery-operated (less than 40 V) and Extra Low Voltage Equipment (less than 50 Vac) Hand held power tools (drills etc) and workshop Power cleaning (Vacuum cleaners, polishers etc) User checks None user user Combined formal visual inspection and testing None 6 months for Class I and 12 months for Class II appliances and. 6 months for Class I 12 months for Class II Most 1 in Weekly by the 12 months for both
laboratories, including IT All supplied by the University in accommodation and residences Catering (includes kettles, coffee machines etc used in office and similar environments) person in control of the user user for handheld such as kettles, mixers etc. Weekly for other. Class I and Class II 12 months 12 months for Class I 24 months for Class II Class II (excluding items covered above) Extension leads, and battery charging. user if hand-held, otherwise weekly by the person in control of the. user. None 12 months Notes: 1 IT and general office will not normally be routinely tested. However some specialised or unusual items of may require an individual specific risk assessment. This will require consideration of factors such as the design and construction, environment, mode of use, nature of the user, and frequency of use; advice may need to be obtained from the manufacturer. New There is no requirement to test new items of electrical before they are first put into use. Recording the Results The Electricity at Work Regulations do not require that the results of electrical safety tests are recorded. However, the Memorandum of Guidance to the Regulations, HSE publication HSR25, advises that records of maintenance, including test results, preferably kept throughout the working life of an electrical system, will enable the condition of the and the effectiveness of maintenance policies to be monitored. It is University policy that records of preventive maintenance inspections and tests, will be kept.
Competence of inspectors and testers There is a Level 3 vocational qualification City & Guilds 2377 for the in-service inspection and testing of electrical ; it is usually obtained by attending a 2-day course. This would be an appropriate qualification for those people who carry out both formal visual inspections and testing. The training should supplemented by local training on matters such as safe isolation procedures, safe working practices and the University s policies on matters such as recording the results of the inspections and tests and on the labelling of People who undertake only the formal visual inspections, and not the testing, do not need to obtain a qualification such as C&G 2377 but should trained on how to carry out the inspections, what to look for, and how to react to any defects identified. They would also need the same local training as the tests on safe isolation procedures etc.) Appendix 1 Check list for user checks and formal visual Signs of mechanical damage (free from cuts, fraying, abrasion etc), overheating or corrosion Correct type and size of cable for the application User Check Formal Visual Inspection Hardening of outer insulation Kinking of cable Cable Coiling of long lengths of cable Unsuitable joints or connections; e.g taped joints A situation where future mechanical damage or corrosion is likely Too long or too short A trip hazard Signs of mechanical damage (cracks, missing sections etc) or corrosion
Signs of overheating, e.g. discolouration or distortion Cable clamp holding cable securely, where appropriate Pins are not bent or loose Live and neutral pins are sleeved. Plug Plug rattles Wires connected to correct terminals and of the correct length Un-insulated ends of wires completely covered by the screws Securing screws suitably tight Correctly rated fuse tightly held by terminals Casing is not cracked, corroded, damaged or subject to excessive wear and tear and there is no damage that could allow access to live parts No signs of overheating Equipment or appliance Grommet, or other protection at place where cable passes through the casing, is not damaged or missing Is suitable for the environment and the work it is required to carry out Switches and control devices are not damaged and operate correctly Works properly Socket-outlet or flex outlet Free from cracks or other damage No signs of overheating Shutter mechanism of socket-outlet is functional
Not loose Switch, if fitted, operates correctly